Toaster



AggQZ, 1949. J. G. MACDONALD TOASTER n Filed Sept. 4, 1945 Patented Aug.2, 1949 UNI-'reef sra-TES e wie 2,477,814

'IOASTERM 'John c .Maca0n a1a, .Lnaon, ontario, CanadaApplication-September 4, 1945; SeralNo. 614,186/` Claims...

.automatically reverse the.br,ead slices `and present the untoastedsides to the.element.

In toasters .of this;generalftypeheretonre produced 4the turn-.overaction; normally fccmmences with the initial movementE of; the breadtrays away from the toasting position adjacent theelement and thus.prohibitspartial openingvotftne trays for visual inspection '.of [the.degreaoigtoasting without necessarily completinggthe reyersal of thebread slice.

A .further disadvantage of such toasters the large table ,arearequired-to provide the cleara c es necessary Vfor Aoperationyofthebread "tlayfS the excessive overall -heightrequiredtoxpiyotally mountthebreadtrays vinsuch a manner that the automatic turn-overactonfis.assured- A still further disadvantaeeoi suchrtoastersis the diicultygof: cleaning the base f and; fadjacent parts of the toaster due to thexedpivotgrnounting arrangement vof the breadgtraysh` It is a; principalobj ect 0f {my-invention, 150. alleviatethegaforesaid disadvantagesgbytheproyision of a turn-over typetoasteryoi simplecon struction Vwhichhasa simpleand novelbread tray operating arrangement vthat. may be;manually utilized not only to vreyerse `the--'s1 irface. of the breadslice presented 4to the v heating element, .but also, by movement to anintermediate positien, to

place the bread slice in a position Wherefthe degree of toasting maybefvisuallyf-inspectemand the bread slicethen eitherl reversed orreturned to the elementfor further toasting withoutreversing, asdesired. Y

Another object oimy invention is to p royide Va turn-over toaster which;does lnot require the excessive area of Atablespace or the'heglllzlieretc- Y fore necessary for such 4devices landWlriicirfrnay,-A be readily cleaned without the-,factual removal ofparts therefrom.

It is a further objectfofmyy invention tclproyide a. toaster of simpleconstruction; Which- ;may .be easily manufactured in large en-,1antitiesf.andl at .low costnandl which Yhasfa minimum; number fof(Cling-e395) Still.; urthcri-obiects. andiatlrantageseotrmx/:in:ventign-wi1-1 ;be.c.om faeparentffrcmltheellewiag description referringlathe accompanvirlgi-dtaw: inaafand .the featur s .Oi..r1.ove1tywhi9h-.chanacr illbe rcinteaut with. par.: the.. cmsanneziedctaansil .forming am/,part of4 hlsspecllcatiQn-r Fig.; 1 .isperspective evie.. 0i @preferred Eem.- ,bcdiment i my toaster.-illustrated. l- Withebetne-Ot thebread trays iin.ftneinclos,ed-orMeetingpesi.-

tion.;

Fien-2 is..-anotherlperspeatiye(yieW-oithe teaster bread travverticalcsectip a1.- .theline A- A'l-of; Figh WitlafoneI onthefbneadtrays illuetratcci lintneepartiallyr Open; `11.0,.Slliazf1utiliaedaforyvisual spectioa Oifthecb addthe-fu-.11y-,-open-;posi;ti@a.ottica sameatray:bemershewn kinbreker.;.lines in this.. view) ...'Refeirineenpw; den toctheidratangseinwhichglilie reierence. charac .refcrtoflilsepatts :tnrouehnut theeyera'ensei 0-.n.di.cats;eenet the; toaster. baser. suppertina verticallymQuntesi-fendwalls-fi l Tnefsaid end-Walled 1! are assemblea ta. thebase el lvvel-l.L .mea-as such as fold-over lugs (not shown) and theVinaper- Virationeof said en@ wallsareneldinspaecdcaeart irelatioaeninbralle y'maunteeicrassmece I2. Crosspiece l2 also senyes tonppogtthegnppgr`ends-10iverticalla. -fmcuntcd :heatinet elementi I3, iolelementi-being. Supper-.ted Elementen-ardwresell.igstpxaridedagspeedepart intervals .in thehorzcntalfcrospiece;l Zaandamtnefvbase I 0.

Albteaectray-el-.6 iszmcvably. suppertedatteach .flieatn elementlffandfatfthefoeter l c @We 121, .CLWSSJ "b nk l5 .-oneatleacli.Sidefgeriee-thaere -OtallyeSuspendedafmmgopen as hasfanextee.-

...n-Side otite tray to form an inclined bread slice supporting shelf22. This extension also forms a space 23 within the lower edge portionof the tray through which a pivot wire 24 may be projected with its endsextended through registering apertures in the tray iianges l1 and intovertically elongated slots 25 in the adjacent edge portions of the endwalls Il. The slots 25, which, in the present instance. are parallel tothe guard wires l5, extend from near the base l to points above thepermissible arcs of movement of the tray connecting ends of the linksI9. A knob 26 is mounted on each end of each pivot wire 24 to facilitatemanual raising and lowering of a wire with the associated slots.

The lowei` end of each tray and its side :anges I'I are preferablycurved inwardly to a slight extent and the flange apertures forreceiving the wire 24 disposed in line with the straight edge portionsof the iianges, as indicated in Fig. 3.Y It is apparent that upon araising of the lower end of a tray i6 when in closed or toastingposition, the wire 24 will be guided upward by the slots 25 and at thesame time the upper end of the tray will swing outwardly due to theswinging support afforded by the links I9. Such movement may be suicientto cause the tray to assume an inspection position, as indicated in Fig.3, with the tray inclined upwardly and inwardly to some extent from ahorizontal, or to assume a toast-reversing position, as indicated inFig. 2, with the tray inclined downwardly and outwardly from ahorizontal. The shape of the shelf 22 is such that a slice of breadsupported thereby is caused, in either of said positions, to slideoutwardly and downwardly to the bottom of the tray to facilitatereversal of the bread, as is apparent.

The upper ends of the trays i6 are curved inwardly substantially aquarter turn or to an extent necessary to cause such ends to lap overthe cross-piece l2 and upper ends of the guard wires l5 to meet in acenter line over said cross-piece and cooperate with the side walls Ilto close the top of the toaster. This gives the toaster a pleasf Walls.

The electrical connections for the toaster are made in the well knownmanner and for clarity are not illustrated herein.

In operation, the bread trays I6 are moved toward or away from theelement i3 as desired by manual operation of the knobs 26, sliding therods 24 upward or downward in the guide slots 25 provided in the endwalls Il. When the knobs 26 (and the attached rods 24) are at theextreme lower limit of the slots 25 the bread trays I6 are in theirfully closed or toasting positions as indicated in Fig. 1. Movement ofthe knobs to the extreme upper limits of the slots 25 moves the breadtrays to the fully open position (as indicated by one of said trays inFig. 2). Since the trays are mounted individually, they may be operatedseparately as well as together and since knobs 26 are provided at eachend of each tray the said trays may be operated from either end of thetoaster.

Movement of the knobs 26 to a position slightly more than half way fromthe lower limits of the slots 25 serves to lift the bread trays into thepartially opened position, illustrated for one of said trays in Fig. 3,and in this position the bread slice (indicated by reference character21) is in the visual inspection position. When in this position aconsiderable portion of the bread slice 21 is above the top of theelement and the side of the slice that has been adjacent the element I3may be visually examined to determine the degree of toasting and decidewhether the same side should be returned to the element for furthertoasting or whether the slice should be reversed. This raising of theupper end of the bread slice above the top of the toaster also enablesthe slice to be grasped and removed or tipped outwardly for betterinspection Without danger of touching hot portions of the toaster. If,after inspection, it is decided to return the same side of the slice forfurther toasting, it is merely necessary to return knob 26 to the lowerextremity of slot 25 without the necessity (as in the case of turn-overtype toasters heretofore produced) of completing the operation of movingthe bread tray to its fully opened position to complete the turn-over ofthe bread, returning it then to toasting position and then repeating theentire cycle to again place the bread slice in its original position forcompleting the toasting of the side first presented to the heatingelement. However, if it is decided to reverse the toast after visualinspection in accordance with my invention, further movement of the knob26 upward in the slot 25 commences the turn-over action which iscompleted when the knob reaches the upward extent of the slot and thebread slice tray is in its fully open position. Returning the knob 26 tothe bottom extremity of the slot 25 then serves to move the bread trayback into toasting position adjacent the element but with the breadslice reversed.

It will be noted that in accordance with my invention, when the breadtrays are moved to the inspection position they are raised completelyclear of the base il] and cleaning of the top surface of said base andof other adjacent parts of the toaster is thus facilitated. It will alsobe apparent that the action of raising the pivot point of the bread trayin the manner illustrated and described herein minimizes the table arearequired for the opening and closing of said trays and my toastertherefore requires considerable less table space than turn-over toastershaving trays pivoted at a fixed point adjacent the base in theconventional manner. It will also be apparent that the arrangement of myinvention may be utilized to provide a turn-over toaster of less overallheight due to the fact that the bread trays may be mounted considerablylower than was heretofore possible with the bread tray pivot points in aiixed location. By the novel action provided in my toaster the traypivots are, during the initial movement of the operating knobs, raisedfrom an extremely low position adjacent the base to a suicient height toallow use of the turnover action and when the turn-over action iscompleted the trays are again returned to their original position.

While there has been shown and described herein a particular embodimentof my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modifications can be made without departing from theinvention and, therefore, it is aimed in the appended claims to coverall such changes and modications as fall within the true spirit andscope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. Manual operating means for a turn-over type velectric toaster, saidoperating means including a pair of bread slice trays pivotallyconnected to the framework of said toaster by U- shaped supports, thebase of said supports mounted adjacent the top of said toaster and theends of said supports fastened to opposite sides of said trays;operating knobs fastened adjacent the bottoms of said trays by rigidrods or the like passing through vertical slots in the end walls of saidtoaster.

2. In an electric toaster, a frame housing an electric heating elementand having sidewalls with an opening therebetween at one side of theelement, a bread slice tray movably closing said opening, means forminga pivotal connection between the lower end of the tray and said wallspermitting vertical swinging movements of the tray to differentpositions, said connection being Vshiftable relative to the frame toraise and lower one relative to the other, and means swinginglysuspending the tray from the top portion of the frame and attaching tothe tray intermediate its ends whereby the lower end of the tray movesupward as the tray swings outward and downward from closed position, andvice versa.

3. In an electric toaster, a frame housing an electric heating elementand having side walls with an opening therebetween at least at one sideof the element, a bread slice tray for closing said opening, mountingmeans for the tray comprising means swingingly suspended from the topportion of the frame and pivotally attached to the side edges of thetray, a distance above its lower end, and means connecting the lower endof the tray to said side walls and guiding said lower tray end forraising and lowering movements when the tray is swung outwardly orinwardly, respectively.

4. An arrangement as called for in claim 3 wherein said connecting meanshas provision for manual engagement to impart the guided move-V electricheating element and having side walls with an opening therebetween atleast at one side of the element, a bread slice tray for closing saidopening, mounting means for the tray comprising means swinginglysuspended from the top portion of the frame and pivotally attached tothe side edges of the tray a distance above its lower end, and meansconnecting the lower end of the tray to said side walls and guiding saidlower tray end for raising and lowering movements when the tray is swungoutwardly or inwardly, respectively, the guide feature of saidconnecting means extending above the lower arc of movement of the pointsof pivotal connection of said suspending means with the tray whereby thetray may be swung to an outwardly and downwardly inclined position.

JOHN G. MACDONALD.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the le ofVthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Y Name Y Date 1,103,218 Odle July 14, 19141,376,023 Long et al. Apr. 26, 1921 1,455,190 Dodge May 15, 19231,669,501 Van Deventer May 15, 1928 2,008,799 Samuels July 23, 19352,121,444 Osrow June 21, 1938 n 2,133,392 Lent Oct. 18, 1938 2,193,582Cullomer et al Mar. 12, 1940 2,362,415 Sivley Nov. 7, 1944 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 12,252 Great Britain 1913

